I No Longer Love You
by LavernaG
Summary: Just a short story of Clarisse and Joseph's scene in the second movie. With "no" as an answer to the most important question of their lives, and a real heartbreak.
_I LOVED the brakeup of Joseph and Clarisse. (Of course!) It was such a sad and also lovely scene. I just decided to change the scene a little to make it longer. I hope you enjoy!_

"With only two and a half days left, Olivia, I'm beginning to feel rather frantic." Queen Clarisse said as she walked down the stairs of the ball room with her loyal poodle by her side, and her lady's maid a few steps behind her. It was soon to be her granddaughter, Princess Mia's, big wedding, and there was still so much to do!

"Would you take Maurice out for me, please, I have to check the orchestra selection." she asked and held out the poodle's leash which the younger woman took quickly.

"And they asked you to approve a place setting for the reception, Your Majesty." Olivia said before she started to walk away, guiding the dog with her.

"Very well." Clarisse replied quietly as her lady's maid and dog left the room. She walked to the laid table on one side of the room, and pressed the button on the CD player on the table.

As the soft music filled the room, she was going to look over the different place settings when she was drawn to the centre of the room by the sudden will to dance. She was a divine dancer, but it wasn't the same without a partner. As she swayed in the music, she pretended to have a person to dance with, so she raised her hands just like she would have with a real person.

But when she went for the first spin, she was surprised to be accompanied by someone. His strong, yet tender arm wrapped around her as his left hand came to hold hers. Clarisse instantly felt great delight when she realized who had come to dance with her. "Oh," she only said, happily looking in his joyful brown eyes.

Her loyal Head of Security, her dearest friend, her beloved one had come to her. He had always been there for her. On happy and hard times. And on the hard ones, he had been the one to turn the bad things into good ones. He was always there to help. And he always helped Clarisse to relax.

Just now, Clarisse also rested her head on Joseph's shoulder as they danced, and felt more relaxed than she could with anyone else. She didn't have to worry about anything when she was in his arms, not even about being discovered in this intimate position. She felt safe whenever he was near. She knew she was well protected as he held her close to him and treasured their proximity as she did.

"Have you been thinking about us?" Joseph's words brought Clarisse back to reality where she realized they had stopped dancing. Her heart had jumped as he had murmured the question in her ear.

She could never forget the proposal he had given her to think about days ago. A part of her had been happier than ever to hear that he wanted to marry her, yet the other part of her knew that she had other responsibilities that had to come first. She had thought over it for days, and hadn't found a better solution. She knew that she could never forgive herself for what she was about to say.

"Yes, I have," Clarisse answered quietly, her voice and eyes filled with sorrow as she looked at the man before her. She knew that her answer was clearly written in her eyes, but she just couldn't make a sound to say anything. She could only watch as the hopeful spark in Joseph's eyes faded and he turned serious.

"I see," he said in a voice that couldn't hide his disappointment. He let go of Clarisse reluctantly, pulling away. "If you'll excuse me," he said, turned, and started to walk away from the Queen.

Clarisse instantly felt the loss as her loved one walked away from her before she could explain herself. She rushed after him, catching his arm to keep him from going any further. She was saddened to feel Joseph tense at her touch.

"No, Joseph," Clarisse said and took the man's hand with both of hers. "You had to know what I was going to say. I- Mia needs me now more than ever before, and... It's the monarchy, I mean, as Queen is my responsibility... You know how it is."

She failed to hear her assistant's quiet footsteps at the top of the stairs, but even if she had heard them she wouldn't have taken notice of her being there. But she would have been very thankful to her, bacause she left to give Clarisse and Joseph some privacy.

"You were never just my Queen, Clarisse," Joseph said, looking the woman right in the eye. He tried to pull his hand free, but Clarisse kept her grip. "You were the someone that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with." Clarisse opened her mouth to say something, but she couldn't manage to make a sound. "But," Joseph continued. "If you prefer that I see you, first and foremost, as my Queen, I shall oblige."

"No, Joseph," Clarisse sighed pleadingly, and was of course going to say more because that hadn't been what she had meant. As she said his name, she put her hand on Joseph's cheek softly. She had done so many, many times before, but never in such fear of him pulling away.

Before Clarisse could say any more, Joseph bowed his head, and said, "Your Majesty." Then he turned away once more to walk to the doors to leave. He could have never imagined how much it hurt Clarisse to hear him use her title at a moment like this. It was like a knife thrown at her heart.

As Clarisse desperately wanted to rush after him and call him back, she found it hard to speak. Her words caught in her throat as she thought of something to say to keep him from going. "Please, Joseph," Clarisse finally said in a quiet and sad voice. She was somewhat reassured when Joseph stopped in the doorway, and, without turning to face her, was willing to listen to what she had to say.

"You have to understand," Clarsse said and walked towards Joseph again, encouraged by him staying to hear her. "Oh, I do love you, very, very much," she admitted honestly. She now stood right behind Joseph, and only wished that he would look at her, then he would see in her eyes how really true her words were. "But this can't happen just yet."

"Don't you think we have waited long enough, Clarisse?" Joseph finally said after a long moment of silence, and turned to face her with a cold look in his eyes, yet somewhere deep inside, it was tender. The moment the last word was out of his mouth, he regretted the slip. He had wanted to call her "Your Majesty", but it would take some gretting used to.

Clarisse really wanted to reply something, but she was so frightened of the look that Joseph gave her, that she again couldn't say a thing. She had never seen him being so cold and unloving.

"I only believe that you are being unfair to yourself," Joseph said in a tone that was a little softer but still cool.

"And to you?" offered Clarisse sheepishly.

"And to me," Joseph agreed in his hoarse voice. He didn't make a move to leave, and Clarisse had a silent moment to think over what he had just said.

"Perhaps..." Clarisse agreed sadly, and was already scared of what she was going to say next. "But how can you ask me to forget about Mia and the future of my country?" she questioned boldly, and hesitated before saying, "Isn't that selfish?"

"I guess, in that case, we are not meant to be together. If what I say sounds selfish to you," Joseph said and bowed his head once more, hoping to escape Clarisse before he will lose his temper. But he didn't dare to leave as Clarisse put her hand on his cheek again.

"No, Joseph, I love you," Clarisse said, desperate to keep him near. She was happily surprised that Joseph didn't shake her hand off of him, but even seemed to enjoy her touch as he always had. "No matter what you say or do."

Joseph looked in her eyes for a moment, his cold gaze meeting her loving and desperate one. Then, without a word, he covered her hand on his cheek with his, and planted a soft kiss in her palm. It was as if he had said goodbye to their love in that small kiss, and he knew that he would regret it. He already did.

"But what if I say I no longer love you," Joseph asked quietly, his depression clouding the sorrow in his voice. He didn't mean what he said, he never could, but he had had to say it to make Clarisse understand the consequence of her deeds. After his cruel statement, he turned away from Clarisse completely and permanently, and disappeared behind the curtains as he left the ball room.

Clarisse didn't follow him anymore. She didn't do anything anymore. At this short sentence her heart had crushed. Had she really lost the only man she had ever really loved? Had she lost the love she could have had for the sake of her job?

As she slowly made her way towards the table to switch off the quiet sad music of the CD-player, she really wished that she could cry. But not a single tear escaped her eyes. Because it didn't even seem real, yet she knew it was. Her dear Joseph, her love was gone.


End file.
